Flue connector assembly for absorption refrigerators



Feb. 22, 1949. c. D. PFENDER ETAL 2,462,671

FLUE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY FOR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATQRS Filed July 15. 1947 NV W 47. I By jrnuA/l Wt? Patented Feb. 22, 1949 F LUE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY FOR ABSORPTION REFRIGERATORS Clifford D. Pfender, Albert Schultze, and Carl J. Knerr, Evansville, Ind., assignors to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 15, 1947, Serial No. 161,016

Claims.

This invention relates to refrigeration and particularly to heat operated refrigerating systems wherein a generator or vapor expeller is heated by a liquid fuel burner.

It is an object of this invention to provide a connector between a refrigerating apparatus and its heater that is actuated by movement of the heater to and from its operative position when servicing.

The invention together with the above and other objects and advantages will be more clearly understood from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side view partially in vertical section, of the lower portion of a refrigerator embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing certain of the parts in different relative positions;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in still different relative positions; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing,'particularly to Fig. 1, reference character ||l denotes a refrigerator cabinet provided with a food storage compartment II and a mechanism compartment I! beneath the food storage compartment. The food storage compartment is cooled by an absorption refrigerating system, only the generator |3 of which is shown. This generator includes a cylindrical shell l4 having a concentric flue l5 projecting therethrough. The enerator is encased in an insulation box it having a suitable insulating material ll therein. As shown, the lower end of the generator flue projects beyond the bottom of the insulation box. A liquid fuel tank I8, containing a suitable fuel such as kerosene, is movably mounted in the mechanism compartment, as by rollers l9 on each side of the fuel tank, which rollers are adapted to travel in guideways 20 at each side of the tank. A heater comprising a burner 2| is mounted in any suitable manner upon the fuel tank and is provided with a wick, not shown, but which wick projects into the fuel tank. An adjusting member 22, having an extension 23, is provided for raising and lowering the burner wick. A knob 24 is provided on the outer end of extension 23, so that the burner wick may be adjusted from the lower front portion of the refrigerator. A handle 25 is provided on a front portionof the fuel tank for movin the tank into and out of mechanism compartment i2. Burner 2| is provided with a stub chimney 26 made of glass or other suitable transparent material, so that the burner flame may be viewed from the lower front of the refrigerator.

To provide for good heating efficiency, it is desirable that the burner and the bottom of the generator flue ll be connected when the burner is in operative position beneath the generator flue. It is also desirable that the burner be free to move relative to the-generator flue, so that the burner may be serviced from time to time. In accordance with this invention, a sealing ring 21, made of metal or other suitable heat resisting material and provided with a central opening 23 therein, is slidably mounted upon the lower projecting end of the generator flue ll. The lower surface of ring 21 is ground smooth, as is the upper surface of stub chimney 28, so that when the ring rests upon the chimney, as shown in Fig. 3. a good seal is made between these two elements.

An operating mechanism, indicated generally by reference character 29, is provided for raising and lowering the ring 21 relative to the lower end of the flue and to the stub chimney. Operating mechanism includes a bifurcated lever arm 30 having a pair of flngers or prongs 3| adapted to engage the lower portion of ring 21 on two sides thereof, as best shown in Fig. 4. The lever arm 30 is rotatably mounted on a horizontal shaft 32, which shaft is mounted upon two brackets 33, and which brackets, in turn, are secured. as by spot welding or the like, to the bottom portion of insulation box it. A lever arm 34 is attached to and projects downward from the center rear portion of bifurcated member 30 forming therewith a bellcrank. The arm 34 has a horizontal end portion 34 arranged to be contacted by the body portion of the burner 2| as said burner is moved to a position beneath the generator flue It. A torsion spring 35, wound around the shaft 32, is arranged to bias the bellcrank clockwise and thus I toward the upper position of the fingers 3| as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A stop member 38 is provided for limiting the inward movement of the fuel tank so that lever 34 is not appreciably distorted by contact with the burner 2 In operation, when it is desired to service the burner 2|, fuel tank it is moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 2. As the tank is moved outward from the mechanism compartment, the burner 2| moves away from the lever arm 34 so that the torsion spring rotates the fingers 3| of the bifurcated member upward, whereupon the ring 21 is moved from the posia suitable clearance is provided between the chimney 28 and the ring member, so that the fuel tank and attached burner and chimney may be moved out of the mechanism compartment. After the burner has been serviced the fuel tank is returned to the mechanism compartment, withthe rollers l9 guided in guides 20, the tank is moved toward the rear of the mechanism compartment. As the tank and attached burner approaches the position shown in Fig. 2, the burner contacts the horizontal end portion 34 of lever 34 and continued movement of the tank and attached burner toward the rear of the mechanism compartment causes the prongs ii of the bifurcated member to be rotated downward, whereupon the ring 21 is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 3 and a seal between the chimney and lower end of the generator flue is again effected. The stop member 38 limits the inward movement of the fuel tank. As shown best in Fig. 3, when the fuel tank, burner and chimney are in their flnal operative position relative to the lower portion of the generator flue. the ends of the prongs II are clear of the ring member 21, so that the ring member rests by force of gravity upon the upper portion of the stub chimney, whereby a sealed flame path between the burner and the lower end of the generator flue is assured.

Having thus disclosed our invention, we wish it understood that we do not desire to be limited to the specific structure illustrated and described. for obvious modifications thereof may occur to a person skilled in the ar-t.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigerator having a heat-receiving element provided with a flue, a heater for said element having a chimney and removably mounted in anoperative position with an end of said chimney adjacent an end of said flue, a member coacting with said flue and chimney and movable relative to both the flue and the chimney to am from a position connecting the adjacent ends oi the flue and the chimney, and mechanism to sc move said member and operative responsive tc movement of said heater to and from said operative position.

2. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 1 in which said member is a ring slidable up and down on the end of the flue and adapted to rest upon the end of the chimney when the heater is in said operative position, and said mechanism includes a lever arm having a pair of prongs adapted to engage beneath opposite sides of said ring for lifting same.

3. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 2 in which said lever arm is biased in the ring-raising direction and operable to lower the ring and move clear thereof when the ring rests on the chimney.

4. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 1 in which said mechanism comprises a belicrank having one arm-adapted to engage said connecting member, and the other arm adapted to be operated by movement of said heater.

5. A refrigerator as set forth in claim 1 in which said member is a ring slidable up and down on the flue and adapted to rest on the chimney, and said mechanism comprises a bellcrank having a bifurcated lever arm adapted to engage beneath said ring on opposite sidesthereof, and the other arm adapted to be operatedby movement of said heater, and means for biasing the bellcrank in a direction to cause upward movement of said bifurcated lever arm.

CLIFFORD D. PFENDER.

ALBERT SCHULTZE.

CARL J. KNERR.

No references cited. 

